http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 trounce Zimbabwe in 3rd ODI
Zimbabwe was given a cricketing lesson in their third and final ODI against powerhouse South Africa as the hosts secured one of the biggest wins in the history of 50 overs cricket, pulverising the Zimbabweans by 272 runs.
The hosts batted first in the match played at Benoni and posted a mammoth 399 runs at almost eight runs per over.
The visitors were flayed all around the park as the South Africans stamped their authority on the match in no uncertain terms.
Captain Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla got their team off to a rollicking start, Amla who had scored hundreds in each of the first two matches, looked set for a third successive ton.
He raced to 24 off only 18 balls before his impulsiveness got the better of him; he was caught by wicket-keeper Taibu off Masakadza in the 7th over of the innings.
Before him his captain Smith perished in the sixth over after adding 53 runs with Amla.
Once again the left hander failed to capitalise on a bright start and fell for 26 runs he hit 4 fours in his innings.
The South African side were then brilliantly served by the pair of De Villiers and Duminy who laid into the inexperienced http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 attack in no uncertain terms.
They added 219 runs in their third wicket partnership in 32 overs, De Villiers notched up his second successive hundred of the series scoring an invaluable 109 off a mere 99 balls. The right handed stroke player who has been in the form of his life in the last year or so smashed 5 sixes and 5 fours in a belligerent batting display.
Duminy carried on in his attacking vein from the other end adding 50 runs for the fourth wicket with Albie Morkel.
He scored 129 runs off only 117 ball hitting 7 fours and 4 sixes in his powerful batting display that completely sagged the Zimbabwean spirits.
He departed with his team in a commanding position; they were further bolstered by the big hitting of Morkel, Miller and Ingram towards the end of the innings that powered them to a gigantic score.
They however missed out on registering only the 10th score of 400 runs or more in an ODI by a solitary run.
The Zimbabweans were made to toil hard on the field, as they looked clueless in their attempt of putting brakes on the run glut.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Elton-Chigumbura-c55937 the Zimbabwean captain used as many as eight bowlers, yet almost all of them were treated with disdain by the merciless South Africans.
Masakadza was the most expensive of the lot claiming 2 wickets for 95 runs in 10 expensive overs.
The match was virtually over at the half way stage after the South African assault and it soon tapered off to a meaningless contest with the abject surrender of the Zimbabwean top order.
The tourists were reduced to 80 for six inside the first 17 overs with all their mainstays back in the hutch.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Prosper-Utseya-c82728 pushed the total past the three figures mark, but it was only a small consolation for the battered and bruised minnows of the game.
The Proteas who had one of their easiest outings in international cricket, enjoyed the match thoroughly with seamer Rusty Theron continuing his bright start in the game with a 3 wicket haul. Botha, Morkel and Wayne Parnell grabbed two wickets apiece.
The Proteas now head to the UAE where they would take on http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in a two T20, five ODIs and two test match series that starts on the 26th of this month.
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